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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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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: stock · prune · row · wax · deal · ground · pass · lie

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stock — shares
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — crushed

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