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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. object — to protest
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. object — a thing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — in music

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