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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. file — a document
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. file — a tool

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