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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — steady
  11. stock — shares
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — decided
  20. stock — goods
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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