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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · wind · spell · ground · bass · tube · stock · lean

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — a container

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