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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — goods
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. kick — in football
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stock — a soup base

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