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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. scale — size or range
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lie — an untruth

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