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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — the month
  17. season — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — a trail

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