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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — the season

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