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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stock — goods
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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