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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — goods
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — boats
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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