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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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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: kick · fall · stock · stick · spring · lie · charge · bay

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — in football
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — a price
  19. fall — the season
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — goods
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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