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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. pop — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — final
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — decided
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. root — of a word
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — the cause
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stock — goods
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  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