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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.

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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: rash · lean · spell · stock · saw · bore · wax · cell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cell — a phone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  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