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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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468
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cell — in biology
  14. tube — a container
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — in a tire

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