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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a ring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stock — shares
  23. season — in sport
  24. stock — a soup base

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