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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — a position
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — a tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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