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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stock — shares
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — to handle
  14. present — there
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — for paper
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — help
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. hand — in cards

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