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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — ground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — a country
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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