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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: saw · season · last · mug · stick · stock · foot · wind

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — to go on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — shares
  20. last — finally
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. season — of the year
  24. foot — the bottom

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