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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lean — thin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — the amount
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. land — ground
  24. season — of the year

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