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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mug — a face
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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