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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. board — a committee
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — goods

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