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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — a thing
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lean — thin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. drill — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — goods
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — an aim

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