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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a line
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — to recline
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — to add flavour

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