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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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468
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: face · bore · wax · rash · club · spell · wound · stock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rash — a series
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — on the skin
  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