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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: toast · wax · arm · land · rush · stock · kid · pound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — child
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — to tease
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wax — for sculpting

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