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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.

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: ball · toast · chair · wax · lie · foot · stock · suit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — to recline
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. toast — bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stock — goods
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stock — shares
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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