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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — to come from
  4. field — a subject
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — a stone

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