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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: stock · drill · dip · track · bay · bear · content · lie

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — happy
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — to recline
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — the animal

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