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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stock — goods
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. shower — to wash
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — a company
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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