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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 116 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: capital · wax · bore · nail · stock · bowl · leaves · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. capital — money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a city
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — a soup base

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