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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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