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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · kick · dip · stock · band · mine · bay · saw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. band — a music group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mine — for digging
  24. saw — the tool

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