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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — to push
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash

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