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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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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: content · snap · suit · cell · foot · wax · current · present

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — electric
  5. suit — to fit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — of water
  8. wax — to grow
  9. present — there
  10. content — happy
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — a phone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. content — the amount
  16. current — happening now
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — the time now
  24. wax — in the ear

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