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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: can · charge · cabinet · cap · wax · field · sharp · mark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mark — a grade
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — to pay attention

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