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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — to turn a key

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