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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a document
  12. key — for a lock
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lean — to rest against

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