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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — goods
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — a friend

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