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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. firm — a company
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — goods
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. season — in sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — decided
  15. hand — help
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. season — of the year
  18. hand — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — steady
  22. bore — to tire
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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