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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — for catching
  4. present — the time now
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. net — after costs
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — of the year
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — a container
  24. mouse — 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