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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: net · nail · wake · bound · press · cabinet · wax · root

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — to push
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. net — after costs

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