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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. tube — a container
  24. perch — for a bird

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