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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — to grow
  13. drill — a practice
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — shares
  24. wax — for sculpting

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