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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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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: staff · bear · wake · calf · net · stock · perch · wax

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — after costs
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — a trail
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — in sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — for catching

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