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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hand — help
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. mate — a partner
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — in cards
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lean — thin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — a friend
  24. deal — a big deal

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