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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 124 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stock — shares
  24. last — final

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