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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: lie · sharp · date · stock · board · dip · kid · press

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — to recline
  14. board — a committee
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — to push
  23. kid — child
  24. date — the fruit

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