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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. drill — army training
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — a contest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. drill — a practice
  22. race — humankind
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. root — the cause

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