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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — shares
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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