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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — an aim
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — shares
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — goods

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