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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. object — a thing
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fall — the season
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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