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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stock — shares

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