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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — a gift
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — rain
  14. present — the time now
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — lets stay

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