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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — finally
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — goods

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