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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — a soup base

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