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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — in a tire

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