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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — goods
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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