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

Word bank: cap · kid · firm · wax · toast · spell · club · pop

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. club — a group
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — for golf
  21. kid — child
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kid — to tease
  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