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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — finally
  16. stock — goods
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — shares
  24. dip — to dunk

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