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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stock — goods
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — high quality
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — thin

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