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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: last · sharp · jam · foot · stock · lie · leaves · cap

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — of ice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a hat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — shares
  14. last — final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — goods

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