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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to click
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stock — goods
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spell — letters
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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