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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · suit · calf · chest · tear · stock · mine · wax

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — shares
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. object — to protest
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — clothes
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — of your body
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — a box
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — of your body

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