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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — to paddle
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — low music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. land — ground
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — the instrument

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