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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: wake · straw · dip · wax · tear · date · lie · stock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — shares
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — a trail
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — to grow
  19. tear — from crying
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wax — in the ear

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