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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
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: foot · hand · rule · wax · cap · game · leaves · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rule — government
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hand — help
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wax — to grow

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