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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — a trail
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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