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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — part of the head
  6. firm — a company
  7. squash — to crush
  8. firm — steady
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. firm — decided
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to drill
  21. shower — rain
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. shower — to wash

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