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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — a price
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to click
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — shares
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pop — soda

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