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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: cap · wax · cabinet · spell · bowl · stick · fan · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  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