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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stock — shares
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for golf
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — a group
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rock — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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