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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stock — shares
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. leaves — to go away

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