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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — the fish
  5. face — to confront
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — a soup base

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