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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 · pit · face · rest · prune · staff · mark · wax

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — a break
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a grade
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — to pay attention

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