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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — army training
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cold — not warm
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — goods
  19. cold — an illness
  20. drill — the tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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