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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 116 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: spring · can · wax · stock · straw · bay · firm · chip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spring — the season
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. spring — of water
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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