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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — shares
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. drill — army training
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — a practice

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