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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: wax · arm · rash · stick · stock · cold · roll · toast

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stock — goods
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. roll — a list
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — a series
  14. roll — a cake
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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