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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: mine · face · stock · mug · patient · season · lie · nail

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — to recline
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — to add flavour

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