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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. pop — soda
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — music

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