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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of a king
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stock — goods
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — a container
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — shares
  20. drill — army training
  21. court — for sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — the underground

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