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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stock — goods

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