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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. prune — to trim
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — goods
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — a list
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wind — moving air

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