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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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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: bark · rule · stock · wave · rock · kid · snap · wax

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kid — to tease
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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