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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wound — an injury
  8. field — a subject
  9. stock — shares
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rest — a break
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — farmland

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