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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — an amount
  24. trunk — of a tree

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