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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — to recline
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — money
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rash — hasty

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