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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hand — in cards
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — in music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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