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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — rain
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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