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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mug — a cup
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. roll — a list
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a document
  24. mug — to rob

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