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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — goods
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — a stick
  20. race — humankind
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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