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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — letters
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a music group
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — to bend

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