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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stock — shares
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — a break
  18. kid — child
  19. spring — of water
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a face
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — the season

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