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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a hat
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — in control
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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