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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — a city
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — goods
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. wave — with your hand

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