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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kid — to tease

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