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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — shares
  20. land — ground
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wind — moving air

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