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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: pass · cabinet · row · wax · present · bat · fan · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a line
  8. pass — a permit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — after costs
  12. present — there
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. net — for catching
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — to paddle

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