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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — a face
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — lets stay

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