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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kick — in football
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — goods
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — a series
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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