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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: deal · safe · wax · drill · stock · field · branch · object

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — a division
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — army training
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — for sport
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. field — a subject

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