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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.

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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: staff · leaves · saw · mark · wound · stock · can · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stock — goods
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — shares

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