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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. 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. race — a contest
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — a video
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — humankind
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — the arms race
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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