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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: wax · ruler · mate · spring · chair · pass · bore · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — in sport

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