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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — goods
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — a gift
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. present — the time now
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. mouse — the animal

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