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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: kick · cold · can · capital · wax · cabinet · ruler · mug

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. capital — money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cold — not warm
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a city
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — in football
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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