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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 120 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.

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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: bear · object · mug · cap · mouse · wax · suit · wake

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. suit — to fit

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