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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. net — for catching
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — in sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — after costs
  23. ground — crushed
  24. snap — to click

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