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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stock — shares
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — goods
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spring — a coil
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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