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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a lid
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — to come down
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — ground
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — goods
  22. land — a country
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — 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