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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: lash · bark · game · stock · pit · bay · wax · press

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — to push
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — shares

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