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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. last — final
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — in football
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — soda
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — to go on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — finally
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — to visit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — music
  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