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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. swing — in golf
  9. dip — to sink
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — to wash
  15. swing — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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