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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: rest · ground · racket · cue · wax · stock · fall · lie

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — a position
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rest — a break
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — shares
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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