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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — a song
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — certain
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — to visit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — to wash

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