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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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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: saw · dip · stock · file · row · face · deal · rush

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — shares
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. dip — to sink
  14. row — a line
  15. file — a tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. deal — to handle

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