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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stock — goods
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — shares
  24. scale — for weighing

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