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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — goods
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. can — a tin

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