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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — to grow
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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