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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rash — a series
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spell — a short time

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