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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. staff — a stick
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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