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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.

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: content · pop · suit · hide · wax · cap · racket · wound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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 — clothes
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — to fit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pop — soda
  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