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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — to grow
  11. file — a line of people
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. file — a tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stock — shares
  20. file — a document
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lie — to recline

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