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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — goods
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. game — a match
  8. lean — thin
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rest — a break
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — to be able to

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