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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. object — to protest
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — for digging
  23. object — an aim
  24. stock — goods

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