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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — clothes
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spell — letters
  14. last — finally
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — final
  22. cue — a signal
  23. last — to go on
  24. suit — in cards

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