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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — shares
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — there
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — a gift

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