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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
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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: saw · net · foot · cap · board · present · wax · mate

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. present — a gift
  3. foot — a measure
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. present — there
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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