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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: net · key · saw · rush · wax · suit · ground · bear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — in sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ground — the earth

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