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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 116 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 · wound · wax · mouse · stand · firm · current · stick

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. firm — steady
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. firm — decided
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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