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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · lean · cabinet · wax · tube · mouse · wound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — magic
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. net — for catching
  12. spell — letters
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — a short time

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