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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — goods
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — a position
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — in the ear

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