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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — shares

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