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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — the season

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