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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: kid · season · dip · sharp · lie · stock · squash · cue

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kid — to tease

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