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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — to wash
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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