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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a document
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. file — a tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cap — of ice
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — moving air

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