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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · firm · saw · stock · sharp · content · lie · spring

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. rash — a series
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — steady
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — hasty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — a coil
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. content — happy
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stock — shares
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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