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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — part of the head
  15. snap — to click
  16. face — to point toward
  17. club — for golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — boats
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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