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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — rain
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spell — magic
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — decided

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