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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. last — final
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — finally
  14. rush — hurry
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — to go on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. roll — a list

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