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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rash — hasty
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — a series
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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