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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — to paddle
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. row — a line
  24. fall — to drop

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