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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — for catching
  13. content — the amount
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — to point toward
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mark — to pay attention

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