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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: saw · tear · pass · net · wax · track · pitcher · rash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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