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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — bread
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — to rob
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — a face
  15. stock — goods
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — the season

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