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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stock — goods
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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