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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: bore · dip · coach · stock · race · lie · suit · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mine — for digging
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — shares
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — humankind
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — to tire
  23. race — a contest
  24. lie — an untruth

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