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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. land — a country
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — an untruth

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