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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — steady
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fall — the season
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — a company
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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