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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. content — happy
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stock — shares
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — after costs

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