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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — shares
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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