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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stock — shares
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lean — thin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — goods
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. scale — in music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — government

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