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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — in music
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. net — in sport
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stock — shares
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — certain
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — final

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