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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — thin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stock — goods
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — of the sea

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