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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: mark · tear · wax · mug · stock · can · craft · spring

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spring — of water
  12. wax — to grow
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mark — a trace
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — shares
  24. mark — a grade

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