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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 116 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: wax · mouse · lean · wound · bank · last · wake · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. last — finally
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — thin
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — final
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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