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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. track — a song
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. object — to protest
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — for betting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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