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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
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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: wax · date · wave · last · cabinet · net · press · fall

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — finally
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. press — to push
  13. net — for catching
  14. last — to go on
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — final
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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