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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: tube · stand · fine · wind · stock · wax · snap · rule

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — to bear
  15. snap — to click
  16. rule — a law
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — government
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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