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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. present — there
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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