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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. face — to confront
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — ground

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