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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: land · jam · lie · stock · wax · mouse · safe · can

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. land — a country
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — shares
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — ground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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