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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. nail — for a hammer

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