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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — shares
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — a dish

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