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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — shares
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — size or range

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