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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 120 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: plane · wind · wax · net · pit · rock · land · pass

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. net — after costs
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — ground
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — a tool
  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