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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · fan · mark · face · dip · drill · pit · stock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — goods
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — army training
  24. dip — to dunk

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