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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — child
  24. rash — a series

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