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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: net · can · last · wax · plane · wave · stock · wind

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — finally
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. last — to go on
  15. plane — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — final
  24. wind — moving air

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