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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — a trail
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spring — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — a coil

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