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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: lean · nail · tear · stock · season · wax · craft · squash

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — to bend

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