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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: cap · net · tear · bass · board · ruler · wax · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — low music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — for catching
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — a monarch

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