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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to confront
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. calf — a young animal

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