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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. court — of a king
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — ground
  11. court — of law
  12. land — a country
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lie — to recline

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