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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: bat · suit · content · vault · track · wax · lean · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. content — happy
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. bat — the animal

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