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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mug — a face
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. race — humankind
  24. mug — a cup

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