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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 lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. toast — bread
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  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