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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bass — low music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — of a word
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — shares

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