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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — a contest
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — shares
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — the bottom

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