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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stock — goods
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a cup
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — a face
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chip — to eat
  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