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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: object · safe · last · stock · branch · season · wax · spring

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — of water
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — a division
  6. last — finally
  7. spring — the season
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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