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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — shares
  7. craft — a skill
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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