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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. march — music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — tied together
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cold — not warm
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. stock — shares
  20. scale — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. scale — size or range
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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