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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — goods
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — the season
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer

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