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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. face — to confront
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — shares
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — to sink
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — to move gently

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