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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stock — shares

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