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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — goods
  5. rash — a series
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rash — hasty

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