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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — shares
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — of a river
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stock — goods

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