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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — goods
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — to shout
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to dunk

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