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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tube — a container
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — to roll

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