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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 116 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 · pass · lie · staff · can · club · face · stock

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — to be able to
  4. club — for golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — a group
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — goods

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