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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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