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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.

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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: net · wax · file · rock · bay · bound · branch · suit

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — tied together
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — for sculpting

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