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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stock — goods
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — a permit
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cue — a signal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cue — a hint

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