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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — goods
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — a break
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — a position
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mark — a grade
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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