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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — of ice
  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