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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — to go on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — finally
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — final
  24. mate — a partner

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