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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — to protest
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — a thing
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — thin
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — shares
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. object — an aim

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