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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — in sport
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — after costs
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — goods
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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