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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: stock · perch · saw · bark · wax · rock · fine · rush

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — to grow

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