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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — the season
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — an aim
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. pit — a hole
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stock — goods
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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