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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: wind · saw · pitcher · content · dip · wax · suit · trunk

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — clothes
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — the amount
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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