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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stock — shares
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — to breed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — the time now
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — to tease

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