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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — the fruit

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