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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — a subject
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — farmland
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — to be able to
  24. field — for sport

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