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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — goods
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — in music
  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