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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — the season
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — a cake
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — shares
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. file — a tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. file — a document
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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