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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a face
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mug — to rob

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