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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: stick · wax · net · plane · rest · bark · lean · swing

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — after costs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — thin
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — a break
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  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