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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spell — a short time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — letters
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — the amount
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a list
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — magic
  24. suit — clothes

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