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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — all right
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — finally
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. last — final
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. last — to go on

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