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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mug — a face
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fork — in a road
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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