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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. shower — to wash
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — to grow
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — shares
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — a song
  13. stock — goods
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fine — high quality
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a path
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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