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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 120 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: pound · net · stem · wax · ball · key · kid · leaves

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — child
  4. ball — a dance
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. key — in music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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