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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — humankind
  18. fall — the season
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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