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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — a stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pound — a weight

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