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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: cap · staff · present · bound · wax · cell · craft · suit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cap — a hat
  21. present — the time now
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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