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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 · vault · jam · charge · content · tear · wax · straw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. content — the amount
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. content — happy
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — in control
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — a safe
  19. charge — electricity
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  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