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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. season — of the year
  19. row — a line
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cap — a hat
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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