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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — for betting
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. season — in sport
  18. clip — to cut
  19. march — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — low music

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