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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — goods
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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