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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — all right

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