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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.

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: wake · rash · wax · kid · mouse · capital · staff · pitch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kid — child
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — a series

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