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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 120 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: wax · bear · stock · rule · suit · chip · press · trunk

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — government
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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