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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — to bend
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a line
  10. season — of the year
  11. stock — shares
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mate — a partner
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

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