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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — to keep track
  4. snap — to click
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a song
  24. calf — a young animal

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