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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stock — shares
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a partner
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — a stick
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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