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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chest · stock · wax · arm · fine · bay · staff

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fine — all right
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stock — goods
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. staff — a stick

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