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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — a stick
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. land — a country
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — to recline
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. branch — of a bank
  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