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

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. row — a line
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — to pay attention

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