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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. season — in sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. rest — a break
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. march — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a cup
  19. march — the month
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — an eyelash

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