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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. leaves — to go away

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