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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — shares
  24. row — to paddle

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