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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. file — a document
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — a supporter

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