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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: wax · game · rash · fine · saw · cap · content · chair

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. content — the amount
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chair — a leader
  24. saw — the tool

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