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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — for pool
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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