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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: hide · season · rush · capital · wax · rule · bat · lash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rule — a law
  13. season — of the year
  14. capital — money
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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