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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — crushed
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ground — a position
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — a horse colour

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