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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
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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: season · wave · suit · can · spell · rush · content · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — of the year
  4. can — to be able to
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. season — in sport
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — letters
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — magic
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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