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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.

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: wake · mug · stock · lean · ruler · nail · cold · perch

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — a soup base

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