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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — soda
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — for a computer

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