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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. shower — rain
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mug — a face
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — goods
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. mug — to rob
  18. object — to protest
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — a thing

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