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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — help
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — to grow
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. firm — steady
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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