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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
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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: saw · can · mine · track · lie · stock · land · cabinet

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stock — goods
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. land — ground
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a song
  19. land — a country
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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