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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lean — thin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — for a hammer

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