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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — music
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — to visit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — part of the body

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