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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 120 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: suit · plane · stock · pass · wax · cabinet · straw · wake

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — to grow
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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