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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. temple — side of the head

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