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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.

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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: stick · leaves · tube · bay · stock · arm · kid · lie

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — child
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lie — to recline
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. arm — part of the body

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