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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · fan · wake · bay · court · stock · stick · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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