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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kick — in football
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — a division
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — the arms race

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