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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · rock · wax · date · stock · staff · calf · press

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — letters
  9. press — newspapers
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. date — the fruit
  23. press — to push
  24. calf — of the leg

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