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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — goods
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ball — a dance
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. file — a tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  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