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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — goods
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. content — the amount
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. cabinet — ministers

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