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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a friend
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — rain
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bear — to put up with

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