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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — goods
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. file — a document
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. file — a tool
  24. fine — all right

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