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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — goods
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — an aim
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — for money
  16. object — to protest
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — a thing
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stock — a soup base

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