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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — goods
  5. clip — a video
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. charge — in control
  12. net — in sport
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — shares
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — a price
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — an eyelash

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