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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — goods
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — a line
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — shares
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lie — an untruth

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