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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — bread
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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