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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — shares
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cell — a phone

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