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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. suit — in cards

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