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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — goods
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — hasty

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