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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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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: last · net · stock · tear · lie · rock · prune · ball

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rock — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — shares
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — to go on
  24. tear — to rip

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