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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — thin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. snap — to click
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fall — to drop

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