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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — finally
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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