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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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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: stock · wax · hide · bat · scale · straw · stem · bulb

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stock — shares
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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