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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: jam · stock · kick · cabinet · mouse · wax · row · fall

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — goods
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. row — a line
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — for a computer

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