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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — soda
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the vegetable

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