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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — a series
  9. drill — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — a practice
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — army training
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — goods
  24. fall — to drop

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