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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — shares
  9. face — to confront
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — decided
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — a box
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — a company
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — the season
  24. rock — music

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