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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — a song
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — to keep track
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — shares
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a path
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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