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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: toast · spring · stock · spell · leaves · fine · wax · calf

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — all right
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — magic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stock — goods

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