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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — shares
  7. roll — a cake
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a path
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. track — a song
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — a list

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