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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. spell — magic
  2. stock — shares
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to click
  16. object — to protest
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — an aim
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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