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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: wind · lie · temple · pit · spring · hand · stock · bay

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stock — shares
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — help

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