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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: net · wax · trunk · stock · wound · bound · tube · pass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — shares

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