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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — goods
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. temple — side of the head

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