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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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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 · lean · stock · pass · stick · shower · mark · craft

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spring — a coil
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. stock — goods
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spring — of water

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