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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. object — a thing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stock — goods
  20. scale — in music
  21. object — an aim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. object — to protest

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