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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — a tin
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. leaves — of a tree

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