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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · bear · mug · wax · racket · wound · current · wind

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — happening now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — electric
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. current — of water
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mug — a face
  24. wind — moving air

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