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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — finally
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — to go on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. cell — in biology
  12. charge — a price
  13. last — final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lie — an untruth

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