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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — to recline
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — a measure
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. tube — in a tire

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