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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — goods
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. present — there
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — a path
  21. rule — government
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — on your feet

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