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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — shares
  19. tube — a container
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kick — with a leg

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