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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stock — goods
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — a subject
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — farmland
  11. firm — decided
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fall — the season

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