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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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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: capital · net · row · wave · object · suit · bound · wax

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. capital — a city
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — money
  16. row — a line
  17. object — to protest
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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