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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: ground · net · straw · object · present · key · wax · can

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. net — in sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. present — there

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