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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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