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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — shares
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. swing — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — clothes
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stock — goods
  20. row — a line
  21. suit — to fit
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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