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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — a company
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stock — goods
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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