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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — certain
  8. season — of the year
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a line
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — a strongbox

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