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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — goods
  11. lean — to bend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lean — thin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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