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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — a container
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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