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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — all right
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to click
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — in football

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