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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: ground · wax · mug · straw · sharp · bore · stock · foot

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. sharp — clever
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ground — a position
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mug — a face
  20. ground — the earth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — shares
  24. straw — dry grass

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