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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: wax · net · spring · temple · suit · mate · can · straw

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spring — the season
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spring — of water
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — after costs
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — in the ear

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