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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: net · hide · track · rash · deal · pass · wax · season

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — in sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — a path

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