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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — shares
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. content — happy
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rest — a break
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — goods
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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