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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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