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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stock — goods
  20. wind — moving air
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to sink

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