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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: mark · pass · rush · content · net · sharp · wax · wave

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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