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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — shares
  6. press — to push
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — obliged
  24. coach — a trainer

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