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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rest — what's left

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