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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — letters
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — magic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bass — low music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. content — happy
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — the fish

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