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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · wake · bark · wax · ruler · stock · mug · root

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stock — goods
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. root — the cause
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. root — of a plant

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