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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — the season
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — a company
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — with an edge

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