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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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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: leaves · wax · rock · mark · sharp · stock · bear · jam

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — shares
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stock — goods
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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