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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — to go on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. last — final
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — finally
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — letters

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