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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: mark · lean · stock · deal · rush · leaves · mine · rule

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — thin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — a law
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rule — government
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — a big deal

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