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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: dip · stock · bay · lash · wax · bulb · stick · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — there
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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