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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — of water
  13. rule — a law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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