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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. key — in music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stock — goods
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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