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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · bowl · cap · cue · capital · wave · wake · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — a hat
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. capital — a city
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bore — to drill
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com