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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — decided
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. field — farmland
  18. firm — steady
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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