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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: rush · wax · kid · capital · spring · pop · mug · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. capital — a city
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — child
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mug — a face

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