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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — shares
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fall — the season
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lean — thin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. capital — a city

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