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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spell — letters
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — the season
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — shares
  19. lean — thin
  20. toast — bread
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — of water
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cell — in a prison

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