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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. march — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stock — goods
  24. temple — a place of worship

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