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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. season — of the year
  4. mug — a face
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. present — the time now
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — there
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — a break
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. lean — to bend

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