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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wind — to turn a key

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