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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — a practice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stock — a soup base

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