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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — in cards
  6. spring — the season
  7. hand — help
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — of water
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stock — goods
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — a face

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