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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 116 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: kid · spell · stock · leaves · ball · spring · wax · chip

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — to eat
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — child
  17. spring — of water
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — the season
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stock — a soup base

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