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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: stock · chest · wax · rest · rock · object · snap · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — shares
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. object — a thing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to click
  11. object — an aim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stock — goods
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

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