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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.

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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: kid · wax · craft · lie · cap · net · season · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — of the year

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