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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. row — a line
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — to hurry
  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