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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kick — in football
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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