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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — after costs
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stock — goods
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chair — a leader
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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