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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 120 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: leaves · field · tube · cabinet · bore · wax · capital · lash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. capital — money
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — a city
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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