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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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Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stock — goods
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — bread
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — shares
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — high quality
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wind — moving air

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