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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 · present · jam · saw · wax · cabinet · chest · tube

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — there
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — goods
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — shares
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. tube — a container
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — a gift

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