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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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