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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: stand · net · file · land · wound · suit · bass · wax

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. land — a country
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — after costs
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. file — a document

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