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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 120 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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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: cap · wax · pit · cell · kick · stick · arm · stock

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — a phone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — a thrill

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