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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 120 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: bay · wax · shower · file · firm · stock · bound · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — certain
  5. mark — a trace
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — tied together
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — to grow
  13. file — a document
  14. firm — steady
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — goods
  19. file — a tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. file — a line of people

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