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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · deal · rest · mug · stock · cold · fine · land

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — an illness
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — to come down
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stock — shares
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fine — all right
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — ground
  21. mug — a cup
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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