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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — goods
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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