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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: spring · last · mug · stock · lie · mouse · pitch · nail

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — the season

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