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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a dance
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — goods
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a cake

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