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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — a law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — goods

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