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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — a city
  24. wave — of the sea

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