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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pop — music
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. fall — to drop

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