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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — a penalty

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