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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a path
  8. branch — a division
  9. toast — bread
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stock — goods
  17. dip — to sink
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — to keep track
  24. press — a publisher

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