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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.

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: dip · patient · stick · spell · cold · pass · land · stock

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — magic
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cold — an illness

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