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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — a committee
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. board — to get on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — goods
  17. net — in sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — a flat piece

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