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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stock — goods
  3. lean — to bend
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — steady
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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