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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.

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: wake · stock · lean · swing · cell · cap · bore · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — to bend
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — thin
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — all right

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