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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spring — of water
  3. stock — goods
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — the season

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