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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. land — to come down
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — shares
  11. spell — magic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — a series
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — letters

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