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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — to protest
  5. swing — in golf
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. tube — the underground
  12. charge — in control
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to dunk

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