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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · hide · lean · bass · lie · hand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — help
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — goods
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend

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