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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: bay · face · net · wax · spring · bass · can · craft

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. craft — a skill
  17. net — after costs
  18. craft — boats
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — low music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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