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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. content — happy
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — the amount
  24. hide — to keep secret

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