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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: snap · key · perch · wax · race · net · bulb · stock

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stock — goods
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stock — shares
  5. race — a contest
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — humankind
  13. net — for catching
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to click
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. perch — for a bird

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