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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: foot · stock · spring · mate · wax · shower · safe · pitcher

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — of water
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stock — goods
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a partner
  22. shower — rain
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. safe — a strongbox

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