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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — steady
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. file — a document
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — 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