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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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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: date · pass · net · wound · wind · stem · wave · wax

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pass — a permit

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