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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — of water
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — a coil
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. drill — a practice

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