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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — size or range
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stock — goods

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