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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.

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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 · lie · wax · coach · fan · mate · squash · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mate — a friend
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — for catching
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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