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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. game — a match
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — all right
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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