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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — of the year
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — to lash out

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