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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 water is too ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. dip — a sauce

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