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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. march — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — to recline
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rest — a break
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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