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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — for sport
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. field — a subject
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — final
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — shares
  24. field — farmland

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