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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: kick · can · stock · bay · hand · wax · hide · field

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hand — help
  3. field — for sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. field — a subject

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