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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tear — to rip
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. file — a document
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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