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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.

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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: stand · saw · stock · ruler · lean · ground · shower · fine

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — rain
  15. ground — a position
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — crushed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — high quality

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