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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stock — shares
  17. branch — a division
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — the tool

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