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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ball — a dance
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — all right
  22. stock — shares
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to bend

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