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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. firm — steady
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — shares
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. firm — a company
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spell — letters
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

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