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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — for digging
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stock — goods
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to click
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. hide — animal skin

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