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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 116 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: wax · suit · object · cell · band · shower · stock · kid

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — in biology
  9. object — a thing
  10. band — a music group
  11. object — to protest
  12. stock — goods
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — to fit
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — rain
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stock — a soup base

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