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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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