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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 difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — shares
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — animal skin

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