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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — final
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — finally
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. spell — letters
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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