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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — letters
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — shares
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — magic
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bat — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stock — goods
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — a short time

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