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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — clothes
  12. drill — a practice
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — to come down
  22. club — for golf
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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