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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · swing · object · wake · ball · wax

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — to protest
  4. swing — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — to grow
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — after costs

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