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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — goods
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — shares
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. season — of the year
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. row — a line

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