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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: stock · bass · wound · press · spring · leaves · chair · fan

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stock — shares
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chair — a leader
  20. press — to push
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stock — goods

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