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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to sink
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — shares
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spell — letters
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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