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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · court · file · wax · can · cue · capital · press

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. capital — money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of a king
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. court — of law
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — to push
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hide — to keep secret

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