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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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