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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: game · ruler · toast · present · fan · stock · lie · lean

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. toast — bread
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a match
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  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