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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stock — goods
  24. scale — for weighing

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