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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.

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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: perch · wax · net · object · season · nail · wake · wound

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — for catching
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — to protest
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — in sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — to add flavour

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