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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. prune — the fruit

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