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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stock — shares
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — a thing
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — to protest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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