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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. snap — to click
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fine — all right
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a face
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — part of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. face — to confront
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lean — thin
  24. fork — to eat with

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