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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — shares
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kid — child
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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