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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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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: stock · court · face · lash · lie · bowl · fork · bear

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — goods
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — of law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. court — for sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — a garden 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