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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 124 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. can — to be able to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — a stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — goods
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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