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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. date — the fruit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bass — low music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a face
  21. dip — to sink
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stock — goods

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