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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — steady
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — decided
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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