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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — in sport
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — on your feet

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