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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: wax · hide · bear · mark · scale · file · rule · stock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — to grow
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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