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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — goods
  4. cell — a phone
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. plane — an aircraft

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