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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — there
  10. last — final
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — the time now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — finally
  22. content — the amount
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — goods

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