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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stock — goods
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pop — to visit
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — soda

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