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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 116 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: stock · suit · board · bear · shower · saw · spring · wax

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — the season
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — rain
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wax — for sculpting

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