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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.

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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rush — hurry
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — a price

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