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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stock — goods
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — for betting
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — bread
  24. saw — the tool

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