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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — government
  13. toast — bread
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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