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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. object — a thing
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. stock — shares

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