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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — a country
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — in golf
  9. land — ground
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — goods
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. land — to come down
  18. swing — music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — a container
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — an agreement

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