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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — a gift
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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