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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.

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: press · hide · rock · bound · stock · plane · net · wax

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — in sport
  11. stock — goods
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — to push
  24. plane — a tool

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