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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 120 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 · cabinet · wax · season · ball · patient · stick · object

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — to protest
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. net — after costs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. object — a thing
  11. ball — a dance
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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