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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fall — the season
  18. row — a line
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — goods
  24. bulb — for light

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