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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.

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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
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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: hide · leaves · wake · wax · content · tear · net · firm

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — after costs
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — for catching
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. net — in sport

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