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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — thin
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fork — in a road
  20. root — of a word
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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