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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — a contest
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — a break
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rest — what's left

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