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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — the season
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. roll — a cake
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fall — to drop

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