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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · lie · net · fan · bark · cue · stock

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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