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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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