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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. rule — government
  24. mine — for digging

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