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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. lean — thin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — for catching
  6. mine — for digging
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — after costs
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — goods
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — for money
  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