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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — child

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