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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. track — to keep track
  10. content — happy
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fall — the season
  20. stock — goods
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — to roll

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