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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. suit — to fit
  3. firm — decided
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hand — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. content — the amount

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