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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.

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: pit · safe · plane · wax · net · bowl · clip · key

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — in a race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — for paper
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. key — in music
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — a dish

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