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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stock — shares

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