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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — magic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — a jug

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