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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
468
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: bass · fork · object · last · wax · net · snap · hide

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — finally
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — to grow
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — low music

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