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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stock — shares
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. march — the month
  6. object — to protest
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. object — an aim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. march — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. object — a thing
  18. fall — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a cake

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