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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — the season
  24. stock — a soup base

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