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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — shares
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — goods
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — for weighing

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