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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: mouse · content · suit · dip · wax · pound · field · saw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — farmland
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. suit — clothes
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — a subject

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