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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 116 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: content · wax · charge · mate · nail · rush · cap · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — to breed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — child
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — hurry
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kid — to tease
  22. content — the amount
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cap — a lid

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