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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: stock · cap · chair · rash · present · wax · root · lie

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. rash — a series
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — there
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — the cause
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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