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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — low music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — soda
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stock — shares
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bass — the instrument

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