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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.

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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wax — to grow
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — a company
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — the cause
  23. firm — decided
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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