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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — shares
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — finally
  18. branch — a division
  19. last — final
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. last — to go on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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