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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — after costs
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — in sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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