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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bound · kid · squash · wax · rash · root · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bound — certain
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — after costs
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rash — hasty
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — obliged
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kid — child
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — tied together

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