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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — the season
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — goods

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