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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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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: leaves · pop · mate · mug · stock · rush · wind · chip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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