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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.

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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: kick · pass · pit · net · fine · wound · wax · snap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — a hole
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — high quality

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