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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 124 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — after costs
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — in cards
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — a partner
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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