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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — music
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — a trace
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — a grade
  18. march — the month
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — to push
  21. net — after costs
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stock — goods

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