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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 · cap · row · press · stock · rest · stand · spell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — goods
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — letters
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — to bear
  24. press — to push

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