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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — music
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kick — in football
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — a position
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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