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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stem — to come from
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — shares
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mug — a cup
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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