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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mark — a trace
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — shares
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stock — goods
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bark — to shout
  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