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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — a division
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stock — goods
  24. file — a line of people

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