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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — of water
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — shares
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — a company
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kid — to tease
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — a coil

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