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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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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: spring · present · stock · lean · mine · fine · fall · squash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — the time now
  3. spring — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — of water
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — a gift
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — there

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