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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: band · sharp · can · stock · fine · rest · object · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a music group
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fine — all right
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — an aim

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