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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — boats
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. press — a publisher
  22. object — to protest
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. arm — part of the body

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