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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: suit · content · wax · cap · charge · dip · nail · band

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. suit — to fit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. band — a music group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — in control
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — a price
  24. content — happy

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