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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cold — not warm
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cold — an illness
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — a price
  24. sharp — exactly

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