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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. scale — in music
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — music
  24. stem — to come from

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