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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
468
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: object · pass · wax · rock · wind · court · net · mug

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rock — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — to grow
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. court — for sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. mug — a face
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. object — an aim
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — a permit

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