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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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Word bank
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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: lie · object · can · cabinet · ground · foot · stock · spring

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — goods
  14. spring — the season
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spring — of water
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — to protest
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — a coil
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ground — crushed
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — a soup base

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