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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.

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: lie · hand · stick · cabinet · mug · saw · stock · kick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — in football
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — a face
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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