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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: season · capital · bear · suit · craft · leaves · wax · content

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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 — in the ear
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — money
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — to grow
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. suit — to fit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. suit — in cards
  24. content — videos and posts

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