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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 124 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rock — music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — electricity

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