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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 116 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: hand · bowl · can · wax · key · net · staff · pit

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wax — in the ear

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