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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: fork · net · bear · pass · mouse · stock · lean · lie

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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