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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: pit · mine · lie · rush · hand · track · wave · stock

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — shares
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lie — to recline

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