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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — soda
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — moving air

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