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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wax · swing · kick · roll · vault · bore · stock · land

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — ground
  4. stock — shares
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. land — to come down
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. roll — a list
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — a cake

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