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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ball — a great time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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