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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: content · bat · rest · mug · prune · nail · fall · stock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — happy
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — goods
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fall — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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