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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — to trim

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