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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — ground
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — in sport
  16. swing — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pound — to hit hard

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