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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: drill · saw · arm · rash · pass · can · wax · capital

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — army training
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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