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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: wax · kick · suit · cell · stick · net · ground · capital

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. capital — a city
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — crushed
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. net — in sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — a position
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. capital — money
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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