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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a line of people
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — goods
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — a big deal

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