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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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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — shares
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — there
  17. rule — government
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. squash — the sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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