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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: lie · clip · stock · face · fine · spell · race · deal

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stock — goods
  7. face — to point toward
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. clip — to cut
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spell — letters
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — a contest
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stock — shares

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