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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — goods
  20. file — a line of people
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wax — in the ear

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