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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: race · net · can · wax · mate · temple · board · snap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. net — in sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to click
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — a friend

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