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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. leaves — lets stay

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