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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: suit · prune · wax · squash · fan · stand · cap · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — a lid
  24. squash — the sport

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