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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a path
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — shares
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — a short time

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