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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — to crush
  17. file — a document
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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