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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — hurry

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