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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stock — shares
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — to recline
  22. roll — a list
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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