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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kid — child
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — goods
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — shares

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