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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · hide · suit · capital · squash · fan · lash · field

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a city
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. field — farmland
  8. squash — the sport
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — a subject
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. field — for sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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