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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chest — a box
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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