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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — a series
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. face — to confront
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stock — goods
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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