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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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