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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — shares
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — happy
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fine — all right

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