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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stock — shares
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base

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