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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — of a river
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — a gift
  8. snap — to click
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — a series
  15. present — there
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — shares
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. suit — to fit
  23. face — to confront
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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