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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. firm — decided
  4. stock — goods
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — a company
  12. stem — to come from
  13. file — a tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — boats
  24. rest — what's left

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