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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: cap · court · ball · dip · wax · wind · spell · hide

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — magic
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to dunk

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