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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stock — goods
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — in control
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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