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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — a gift
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — all right
  17. pop — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — there

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