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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — thin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stock — goods
  24. mark — a grade

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