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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stock — goods
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — of the year
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. season — in sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. nail — for a hammer

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