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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a music group
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — shares
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — for digging

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