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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wind — moving air
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — a stone

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