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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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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: bear · saw · last · lean · bound · roll · chip · stock

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. roll — a list
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — final
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lean — to bend
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — finally
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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