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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — goods
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — magic
  17. fine — high quality
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — in music
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — a short time

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