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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — a stick
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fine — all right
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — a soup base

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