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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — shares
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pit — in a race

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