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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: hand · saw · stock · can · dip · lie · nail · mark

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. dip — to sink
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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