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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stock — shares
  6. season — of the year
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — to hurry

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