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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. 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. stock — shares
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stock — goods
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a ring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. band — a music group
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — music
  24. 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