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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — goods
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — there
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rest — a break
  24. stock — a soup base

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