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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — to come from
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — in cards
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — a soup base

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