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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rash — a series
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — goods
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. court — for sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — shares

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